Mandatory Flu Vaccines- How do you feel?
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Anyone else upset by the requirement to take flu vaccine or else... not even a mask option??? Only way out is a MD note stating "severe" allergy. Why is it we can't force our patients but our... Read More

When you say the flu sweep through your unit--was it confirmed to be influenza or was it flu like symptoms? Sorry I dont mean to be a pain--but since this is a vaccination thread I though it would be important to compare apples to apples.

I too, are seeing many employees off with flu like illnesses and some with confirmed influenza ( per quick test) and all have had the vaccination.
Guess what--the hospital still wanted them to work--even though they had been afebrile for only1 day. Most were out for 2 days only. Came to work still feeling bad and most with a cough. Go figure....

Its mandatory for us because its a money maker. There is no proof that if you get the vaccine you won't get sick again. Great way to make money.
What happens if you get the vaccine and something harmful happens to you, will the pharmaceutical company be liable? No
Its mandatory because 1. money 2. they know that many workers refuse it

Exactly! How can you know. When they say the flu shot is 62% effective, they are counting effective as including those who were vaccinated and got the flu anyways but did not require hospitalization. It is very poorly executed, presented and is quite misleading.

Wrong. Efficacy percentages do not include those who received the flu shot & still got the flu at all.

The flu vaccine is approved for pregnant and nursing women, and the package inserts for most varieties clearly states these populations have not been studied, yet approving it for them certainly implies safety. Patients deserve quality safety studies for any drug they are given, as to most people, it is assumed that drugs are proven safe or they would not be given.

The flu shot has been given to millions of pregnant women for several years, and the flu shot has not been shown to cause harm in pregnant women or their babies. This is such a high risk population in flu season that it is important that we as nurses advocate for them to get the flu shot.

There are many medications labeled Category C that we readily give to pregnant women. Not studied in clinical trials does not = not safe.

I have never had the flu vaccine nor have I ever had the flu. I've been in nursing for 27 years this year. My father, retired Army SGT, had to have the vaccine and of course, he got the flu every year. My brother, a Navy commander, has to take the vaccine and of course, he gets the flu. My kids and myself, we NEVER get the vaccine, and I'm blessed to say, we've never had the flu. My kids are grown now and make their own decisions. They choose not to get it. In our family, our evidence-based theory is working a whole lot better for me and the kids than it is for my brother and my dad.......just saying......

Whether the vaccine causes the flu or not, my take on it is, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Sometimes it pays to leave well-enough alone.

-It's not just about protecting ourselves; it's about protecting those around us as well.
-The flu shot does not cause the flu.
-Evidence-based practice is about relying on the best available research to guide your decision-making in nursing.

The flu shot has been given to millions of pregnant women for several years, and the flu shot has not been shown to cause harm in pregnant women or their babies. This is such a high risk population in flu season that it is important that we as nurses advocate for them to get the flu shot.

There are many medications labeled Category C that we readily give to pregnant women. Not studied in clinical trials does not = not safe.

I do not claim to be an expert, but I'll discuss that issue gladly.
GBS occurs in < 1 per million vaccine recipients. Just like other medications that we readily take have potential for serious SE & adverse reactions, so does the flu shot. However, the potential for the flu shot is minimal compared to a lot of the medications we readily take without question as prophylaxis or treatment of various ailments.

The vaccine has been administered for over 50 years, & the same trivalent vaccine has been administered in the U.S. since the early 80s. In other words, the vaccine has been studied for > 50 years, & has been affiliated with mild, short-lived SE, rather than long term SE over the course of a lifetime.

While I agree that , normally, bacterial pneumo as a complication of the flu is limited to seniors & other immunocompromised, my 56 year old mother with no serious underlying health conditions became gravely ill from bacterial pneumonia after getting the flu. I partly blame the provider for thinking it wise to give her a steroid shot when she presented with influenza-like-illness within 24 hours of onset. I will digress now. FYI: The CDC started advising against the ol' steroid shot to mask the symptoms when several of the mortalities from H1N1 were linked to this practice. My point: why take the chance? & remember, it's not just about protecting yourself; it's also a/b protecting those around you.

Why are we giving a vaccine of any kind to an immunocompromised person, and expecting for it to work?

That may be a good question for ACOG, who recommends the flu shot for all pregnant women.

I acknowledge that this vaccine is still being perfected and has limited efficacy in these populations. The reality is that however limited the protection may be from the flu shot if you are immunocompromised, it remains your best shot at fighting the flu along with good hygiene. The data still supports that getting a flu shot is better than not getting a flu shot.

. . . Mariebailey you seem like an expert on the topic, can you tell me long term side effects of taking the vaccine over a course of a person's lifetime? . . .

As mariebailey notes GBS does occur in a a small fraction of individuals who receive an influenza vaccination.

I am unaware of any studies that have compared and contrasted the health outcome of individuals who have had numerous flu shot in their lifetime with individuals who have only been vaccinated once in their lifetime. I would be interested in seeing the results of such studies.

As mariebailey notes GBS does occur in a a small fraction of individuals who receive an influenza vaccination.

I am unaware of any studies that have compared and contrasted the health outcome of individuals who have had numerous flu shot in their lifetime with individuals who have only been vaccinated once in their lifetime. I would be interested in seeing the results of such studies.